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Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs Norton Small Business comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco IOS SSL VPN
Ranking in SSL VPN
4th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
8.2
Number of Reviews
48
Ranking in other categories
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN (9th)
Norton Small Business
Ranking in SSL VPN
6th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
11
Ranking in other categories
Cloud Backup (14th), Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (18th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the SSL VPN category, the mindshare of Cisco IOS SSL VPN is 8.5%, down from 10.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Norton Small Business is 0.8%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
SSL VPN
 

Featured Reviews

Rupesh Kolhapurkar - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers easy setup phase but needs to improve connectivity
For our company's remote workforce connectivity, the tool was very useful during the COVID-19 situation. In general, the VPN functionality offered by the product was very useful during the COVID-19 situation. In terms of the product's ability to secure third-party access, the tool works very well. The most valuable feature of the product in terms of network security stems from the fact that the tool provides access to the whole network, and even if users give access to some special applications, it is still really helpful. The clientless access feature is not available for clients. My company installed the product for its clients. If the product offers a clientless access feature, then it is okay and can be very helpful for our company. I recommend the product to those who plan to use it. Cisco IOS SSL VPN is a reliable product. The product is very helpful for a work-from-home setup as the tool can be used to access our company's internal network, which Falls outside the network of our organization. I rate the tool a seven to eight out of ten.
William_Bowers - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides a secure and hassle-free environment
One area where Norton 360 could improve is the constant push for upselling. The notifications urging me to buy additional services, like dark web monitoring or a secure browser, can be overwhelming. It feels like they are trying to sell me more than I actually need. I would prefer a more straightforward approach where essential features are included in the base license without constant prompts to purchase extras. While notifications about actions taken for my security are good, they could be more informative, letting me know exactly what they did to protect me without the upsell pitches. Simplifying the user experience and providing clearer information about the actions taken would make Norton 360 more user-friendly for me.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The platform provides value and benefits to our organization through efficient and effective communication."
"Cisco certainly has a really strong support team."
"The solution is very stable."
"The feature I find most valuable, is the management portal."
"The solution's environment is stable and doesn't get disconnected every now and then."
"The product's most valuable features are security, stability, and troubleshooting capabilities."
"The setup and installation was easy."
"Cisco IOS SSL VPN is integrated with domain controller, SSO and MFA."
"The solution detects viruses very, very fast."
"The product offers all the essential licenses compatible with Windows, Mac OS, and mobile platforms."
"The most valuable feature of Norton 360 has been its robust notification system."
"The solution has good performance."
"It efficiently scans for threats without causing disruptions, unlike some other antivirus software."
"It offers diverse features, such as antivirus protection, firewall, identity protection, secure VPN, device backup, password management, parental controls, and performance optimization."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it offers alerts if I get a spam email."
"The performance is fine."
 

Cons

"The graphical interface is old and needs to improve."
"The solution takes some time to log in because of some unavoidable security barriers, but it would be better if that could happen faster."
"Compatibility can sometimes be a challenge. There have been issues with operating systems where newer updates cause problems with backward compatibility."
"Improvements could be made in terms of connectivity for applications."
"In terms of what needs improvement, it should have better integration. Although, it might have already been taken care of."
"Multi-factor authentication in Cisco IOS SSL VPN has certain shortcomings that need improvement."
"The configuration is critical and complex."
"It can be difficult to find service and at times we cannot connect with the internet easily."
"The tool should be easily available in the market and should be cheaper."
"One area where Norton 360 could improve is the constant push for upselling."
"The updates must be less frequent."
"There's a need for enhanced security measures."
"The product should be improved with more storage. Though included in its price, the tool's auto VPN doesn't work at times."
"The solution’s stability could be improved."
"Norton 360’s features for device optimization could be better."
"The integration with Android devices needs enhancement."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It stands as the priciest solution available in the market."
"The licensing fee is expensive."
"My company makes payments on a quarterly basis to the vendor to cover the licensing costs attached to the product. Cisco IOS SSL VPN is an expensive product. There are no additional costs apart from the licensing costs attached to the product."
"I would say it is a bit expensive, but I think it is worth the price."
"The pricing of the solution is reasonable"
"With Cisco, there is a free solution or a licensed version of the solution with a set of endpoint services."
"FortiGate does not charge the client a licensing fee, although Cisco charges clients a couple of dollars per year for each license."
"There are no pricing programs for non-profit organizations and the product is otherwise expensive by comparison."
"During procurement, we discovered that acquiring licenses in packages or bundles, such as the one for 20 users, was more cost-effective than individual licenses."
"The tool has a yearly licensing."
"The solution is cost-effective."
"The price is fairly acceptable."
"It is an inexpensive product. We purchase its yearly license."
"On a scale of one to ten, if ten is the most expensive and one is the cheapest, I rate the price as nine."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
23%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Educational Organization
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Computer Software Company
11%
Government
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco IOS SSL VPN?
The pricing for Cisco IOS SSL VPN is based on per user. For more than one hundred users, it costs about $60 per seat.
What needs improvement with Cisco IOS SSL VPN?
Compatibility can sometimes be a challenge. There have been issues with operating systems where newer updates cause problems with backward compatibility. For instance, Windows 11 ( /products/window...
What do you like most about Norton 360?
The product offers all the essential licenses compatible with Windows, Mac OS, and mobile platforms.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Norton 360?
I have a yearly licensing plan. The cost is not that high. The solution is cost-effective.
 

Also Known As

Cisco SSL VPN
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

MST Systems
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs. Norton Small Business and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
847,625 professionals have used our research since 2012.